Health, housing and tax reforms top Helen Haines’ budget pitch for regional Australia

Independent MP for Indi Helen Haines has pressed the federal government to “meet the moment” in the upcoming budget, calling for targeted investment in regional health and housing and a bolder approach to tax reform. Haines has presented her annual Indi Budget Submission to Treasurer Jim Chalmers, outlining policies and local funding priorities she says are urgently needed.

“Regional Australia is experiencing growing challenges — from access to healthcare, housing and childcare, to infrastructure and disaster recovery following bushfires and floods,” Haines said. She added that global instability was rippling through supply chains and creating uncertainty for agriculture and construction, with a direct impact on household budgets.

Haines identified healthcare and housing as top priorities, proposing a Building Regional and Rural Hospitals Fund and a Regional Housing Infrastructure Fund to support critical upgrades. “Rural Australians experience poorer health outcomes and shorter life expectancy than our city cousins, and our health services are operating with ageing infrastructure,” she said.

In housing, she argued the main constraint is not land availability but the lack of enabling infrastructure such as water and sewerage, calling for “sustained, needs-based investment” to close those gaps. On revenue, Haines urged the government to pursue tax changes she says would boost fairness and capacity to fund services, including higher taxes on gas companies and winding back capital gains tax exemptions on property investments.

“Right now, the burden of taxation sits too heavily on individuals and small business, while big corporations get let off the hook,” she said, arguing Australia exports large volumes of gas yet collects “a pittance” in comparison.

“If we taxed this fairly, we could raise tens of billions each year from our gas exports — money that could be invested in hospitals and housing for regional Australia.” She said she was seeing growing support in her community for winding back capital gains benefits, including from those who currently benefit, to help younger people enter the housing market.

Following another severe bushfire season, the submission also highlights the need for continued investment in disaster recovery and resilience. Haines flagged stronger support for energy reliability, telecommunications, early childhood education, aged care and local government sustainability as further priorities.

“Indi is a resilient and vibrant electorate, but we can’t meet these challenges alone,” she said, describing the budget as an opportunity for the government to back regional communities with the investment and reform they need. Haines said the submission was developed with input from Indi’s nine local governments and, for the first time, 10 regional health services.

“These priorities are grounded in evidence and shaped directly by our communities,” she said. “I look forward to continuing to work constructively with the government to deliver the outcomes regional Australians need.”